1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a washer, and more particularly, to a drum type washer. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for a lift having an improved structure.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, a drum type washer is a device that washes a laundry by rotating a drum by a drive force of a motor while a detergent, water and laundry are put in the drum. The drum type washer is advantageous in causing little damage to the laundry, preventing the laundry from being raveled and bringing washing effects of beating and rubbing.
A drum type washer according to a related art is explained in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 as follows.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional diagram of a drum type washer according to a related art, FIG. 2 is a perspective diagram of a drum of the drum type washer shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a perspective diagram of a lift installed on an inner surface of the drum shown in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 1, a drum type washer according to a related art consists of a body 1 having a laundry entrance provided to its front side, a door 2 provided to the body 1 to open/close the laundry entrance, a tub 3 provided within the body to store water therein, a motor assembly 4 installed at the tub 3 to generate a drive force, a washing shaft connected to the motor assembly 4, and a drum 6 connected to the washing shaft 5 to wash a laundry by the drive force transferred from the motor assembly 4.
The tub 3 is supported by a damper (not shown in the drawing) and a spring (not shown in the drawing). The damper and spring play a role in attenuating a vibration generated from the rotations of the motor assembly and drum 4 and 6.
The motor assembly 4 adopts an indirect drive mechanism for rotating the drum 6 by transferring the drive force generated from a motor to the washing shaft 5 via a belt or a direct drive mechanism for rotating the drum 6 by transferring the drive force generated from the motor to the washing shaft 5 directly.
The drum 6 is made of a stainless steel based material. A spider 8 is provided to a closed rear lateral side of the drum 6 to reinforce solidity of the rear lateral side of the drum 6. And, the washing shaft 6 is joined to a rotational center of the spider 8.
The spider 8 is formed by die-casting to prevent the drum 6 from being torn or transformed by the rotation of the washing shaft 5. In particular, a portion of the rear lateral side of the drum 6, where the spider 8 is installed, is inwardly projected to further reinforce the solidity of the drum 6.
Referring to FIG. 2, at least one lift 7 is provided to an inner surface of the drum 6 to be almost parallel with the washing shaft 5.
In this case, the at least one lift 7 is built in the drum 6 to expose one portion of a washing ball 7a that will be rotated by coming into contact with a laundry. And, the washing ball 7a is formed of a ceramic based material to facilitate its rotation in being embedded in the lift 7.
A bottom part of the lift 7, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, is fixed to the drum 6 by at least one locking member 7b fitted into an outer circumference of the drum 6.
And, a rear end part of the lift 7 is fixed to the portion of the rear lateral side of the drum 6 at which the spider 8 is installed.
The above-configured drum type washer performs a washing work by executing a series of a washing cycle, a rinsing cycle and a dewatering cycle in sequence.
And, the washing, rinsing or dewatering cycle can be selectively carried out according to a user's selection.
Moreover, it is understandable that a laundry can be washed in various ways according to its type.
Once the drum type washer executes the washing cycle, the drum 6 is rotated at a low speed centering around the washing shaft 5 by the drive force transferred from the motor assembly 4.
In doing so, the laundry is lifted up while the lift 7 rotates to arrive at a prescribed height. The laundry then falls down after arriving at the prescribed height. Thus, the lift 7 repeats a process of lifting the laundry to fall in rotating the drum 6 during a prescribed time. This process enables the laundry to be washed.
Once the drum type washer executes the dewatering cycle, the drum 6 rotates at a high speed centering on the washing shaft 5. In doing so, the laundry accommodated within the drum 6 is dewatered by a centrifugal force.
However, the related art drum type washer has the following problems.
First of all, the lift, as shown in FIG. 1, is fixed to the drum by fitting the locking member in the outer circumference of the drum. So, in case that the washing ball formed of the ceramic based material is broken, the drum needs to be completely dissembled from the tub and the motor assembly to replace the broken washing ball.
So, the drum type washer needs to be sent to a manufacturer or service center for the replacement of the broken washing ball, whereby a transport cost, a repair cost and a repair time increase.
Secondly, the difficulty in replacing a trivial part may reduce user's reliance on a product.